tipitakafandomcom-20200215-history
Thera 4.2: Bhagu
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(187):Bhagu Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter IV. Four Verses =187. Bhagu= Reborn in this Buddha-age in a clan of Sākiyan (king)rājas, he left the world(for monkhood), together with his clansmen, Anuruddha and Kimbila, and lived by the village of Bālakaloṇa.1 And one day, when he had left his cell to discipline his tendency to sloth and torpor, he fell as he was stepping up on to the terrace. Using this as his goad,2 he accomplished self-mastery, and developing insight, he won arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that, as he was living in the bliss of fruition, the bliss of Nibbāna, the Lord(Buddha), coming to congratulate him on his solitude, asked him: 'How now, bhikkhu, do you continue in earnest?' And he assenting, replied: ---- 271 Ahaɱ middhena pakato vihārā upanikkhamiɱ,|| Caŋkamaɱ abhirūhanto tatth'eva papatiɱ 'chamā.|| || 272 Gattāni parimajjitvā punapāruyuha caŋkamaɱ,|| Caŋkame caŋkamiɱ sohaɱ ajjhattaɱ susamāhito.|| || 273 Tato me manasīkāro yoniso udapajjatha,|| Ādīnavo pāturahu nibbidā samatiṭṭhatha.|| || 274 Tato cittaɱ vimucci me passa dhammasudhammataɱ,|| Tisso vijjā anuppattā kataɱ buddhassa sāsanan' ti.|| || ---- 271'Down by drowsiness I got up me from my cell For exercise, and climbed the terrace-steps, And fell by that all drowsy to the earth. '272 Rubbing my limbs, once more I went up; And while on terrace to and fro I went, Within it was all alert, composed, intent. 273 because of that arose in me the deeper thought: Attention to the fact and to the cause. 177 The misery of it all was manifest; Distaste, indifference the mind possessed; 274 And so my heart was set at liberty. O see the seemly monk’s order of the Path(Dhamma)! The Threefold Wisdom have I made my own, And all the Buddha requires me to do is done. ---- This was the Thera's declaration of aññā(supreme attainment). ---- 1 On these see above (CXVIII.,n. 4) and below (CCLVI.). The visit by the Buddha, without the incident of the tumble, is recorded, Majjh. Nik., iii. 154; Vinaya Texts, ii. 308, where the village has '-kāra' added to its name. Cf. Jāt., i., No. 10; Milinda, i. 163. The village was a suburb of Kosambī on the Jumna. 2 Cf. Sisters, xvii. ---- = 4.2 187 Commentary on the stanza of Bhagutthera= The stanza starting with ahaṃ middhena constitutes that of the thera Bhagu. What is the origin? It is said that he was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, and on having attained the age of intelligence, he made his reverential offering with flowers to the relics of that Buddha, when the Master passed away into parinibbāna. On account of that act of merit, he sprang up among the divine beings of Nimmānarati, wandered about continuously among divine and human beings and was reborn in the royal Sākiyan family, when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Bhagu, he, on having come of age, renounced the world together with Anuruddha, Kimila , became a monk, dwelt in the village of Bālaka lonaka, and one day, in order to remove his condition of being overwhelmed by sloth (thina) and drowsiness (middha), he came out of his monastery, ascended the cloister walk, had a fall (papatitvā) made the same as his driving goad (aṅkusa), dispelled his sloth and drowsiness, increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “When the Blessed One Padumuttara, full of fame had entered parinibbāna, I made a forehead flower garland, and had it mounted on the corporeal remains (of Buddha). After having made my mind piously pleased there, I reached the divine world of Nimmānarati. On having reached, as I did, I recollected my act of merit. For me, there was shower of flowers (which rained down) from the sky at all times. Should it be that I was reborn as a human being in my rounds of repeated rebirths, I became a king of great fame. There, at all times will specially shower for me the rain of flowers (kusuma), by means of the bearing (vāha) of that very reverential offering of flowers to the all-seer (sabbadassī). This is my last entity (pacchimako); it happens to be my final existnece. At present also, the rain of flower will shower for me at all times. It was a hundred thousand eaons (kappa) ago that I made my offering of flowers; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my reverential offering to the corporeal remains (deha). My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, attained Arahantship, he spoke these four stanzas in order to inform about his own dwelling with diligence, when asked thus: “O monk! How is it? Do you dwell diligently?” by the Master, who had arrived to make thanks giving (in connection with the didication of) a monastery, while he was spending his time with the bliss of fruition (phala) and happiness of nibbāna. 271. “Habituated (pakato) to drowsiness I came out of the monastery and on my ascending the cloister walk, I fell down on to the ground but there.” 272. “After having massaged my limbs (gattāni parimajjitvā) I climbed up the promenade again. That I walked to and fro on the cloister-walk, having become well com- posed internally. 273. “Thereafter, there arose my making of mindfulness wisely (yonīso); the disadvantage became evident; disgust (nibbidā) then become well established (samatiṭṭhi).” 274. “Thereafter my mind is freed; see the good nature (dhammatā) of the truth (dhamma). Threefold super knowledge (vijjā) had accordingly been attained; Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” There, middhenapakato means: have been overwhelmed by drowsiness, which has the nature (sabhāva) of destroying (vighāta) the detachment (asatti) reckoned as bodily laziness (alasiya). Vihārā means from the monastery. Upanikkhamiṃ means: I came out in order to walk to and fro. Tatth’eva papatiṃchamā means: I fell down but there at the stairs of the cloister walk because of being overwhelmed by sleep. Vatthānī parimajjitvā means: having threshed out the different parts of my own body soiled by dust due to my fall on to the ground. Puṅap’ārayha saṅkamaṃ means: having climbed up the place of promenade without exhibitting (anapajjitva) any annoyance (saṅkocaṃ) by saying: “I have now fallen.” Ajjhattaṃ susamahito means; I walked to and fro after having become well composed (samahito) and one-pointed minded (ekaggacitto), by means of the elimination (vikkhambhana) of hindrances in my mental exercise (kammaṭṭhana) that dealt with my inward sphere (gocarajjhatta); thus, is the interpretation. The rest is in the manner as has been said. This even, was the thera’s revelation of his Arahantship (annā). Commentary on the stanza of the thera Bhagu is complete. ----